This release is categorised as a CSO Frontier Series Output. Particular care must be taken when interpreting the statistics in this release as it may use new methods which are under development and/or data sources which may be incomplete, for example new administrative data sources.
Users should be aware that across the years 2019 to 2023 it was only possible to match around 84% of deaths to additional datasets such as Census (either 2016 or 2022), therefore analysis of deaths by nationality and ethnicity are based only on deaths which could be matched.
However, there were variations in the matching rate across the various age-groups, and sources. For instance, those who could be matched to additional data holdings, were on average older with an average age at death of 77.7 years. Those who could not be matched tended to be younger, with the average age at death being 67.3 years.
Other limitations that should be considered is that external causes of death tend to relate to younger groups, which may lead to under-estimation of deaths particularly when examining deaths by different causes, nationalities, and or, ethnicities.
Over the five-year period, 2019 to 2023, more than nine out of every ten deaths matched to additional datasets was to someone with an Irish nationality.
In 2019, the average age at death for someone with an Irish nationality was 77.1 years, and in 2023 it was 78.3.
In 2019, the average age at death for someone with a nationality other than Irish, was 67.7 years, and in 2023 it was 69.6.
Deaths due to suicide accounted for around 1% of matched deaths for someone with an Irish nationality over the period 2019 to 2023, while it was around 2% for those of all other nationalities.
In 2019, the average age at death for someone who self-reported as White Irish in the Census, was 77.7 years, and in 2023 was 78.6. For those who self-reported as White Irish Traveller the average age of death was 58.7 years in 2019, and 58.5 in 2023, while it was 68.7 and 69.7 for all other self-reported ethnicities for the same period.
Around 1% of matched deaths for someone who self-reported as White Irish in the Census was due to suicide over the period 2019 to 2023, while it was nearly 10% for those who self-reported as White Irish Traveller, and 2% for all other ethnic groups.
Over nine out of every ten matched deaths were to someone with an Irish nationality over the period, 2019 to 2023. Around one out of every ten matched suicide deaths over the period 2019 to 2023 was to someone of a nationality other than Irish. It was more common for someone of Non-Irish nationality to die due to an external cause than someone of Irish nationality. In 2023, 3.7% of Irish deaths where due to external causes, while it was 6.8% for all other nationalities. See Table 1.1.
Those who self-reported as White Irish Traveller accounted for less than 1% of the total matched deaths over the period 2019 to 2023 (~0.3%). Around one out of every ten matched deaths to those who self-reported as White Irish Traveller were due to suicide, while it was around 1 in every 100 deaths for those who self-reported as White Irish, and around 2 in every 100 deaths for all other ethnicities. See Table 1.2.
Table 1.3 provides a breakdown of the current Vital Statistics totals for All, External, and Suicide deaths, and a comparison of those which could be matched to each source.
If you, or someone you know is impacted by this information, remember that support for your mental health is always available. Contact Samaritans on Freephone 116 123, Text HELLO to 50808, or contact Pieta – anytime day or night.
You can also visit www.yourmentalhealth.ie for information on how to mind your mental health, support others, or to find a support service in your area.
If you are a media professional covering a suicide-related issue, remember research evidence shows that certain types of media depictions - such as explicitly describing a method, or sensational and excessive reporting - can lead to imitational suicidal behaviour among vulnerable people. Incorrect interpretations of suicide figures can also have harmful impacts. Guidance is available.
Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.
Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (26 November 2025) published Additional Insights into Deaths using Administrative Data 2023.
Commenting on the release, Seán O'Connor, Statistician in the Life Events and Demography section of the CSO, said: “While the CSO produces a range of statistics relating to deaths, by age, sex, location, and detailed cause of death, user feedback has consistently sought more detailed tabulations above and beyond that which is contained or fully available from death registration data alone.
Today's release provides an exploratory analysis utilising data matching and linkages to additional administrative data and other data holdings to provide further insights into deaths in Ireland. Users should be fully aware that not all deaths can be linked to other data holdings, therefore the CSO advises caution when examining figures in this release. Nonetheless, today’s release still provides relevant insights into deaths in Ireland.
Results based on Nationality from Administrative Sources
Over the five-year period 2019 to 2023, those of Irish nationality accounted for more than nine out of every ten deaths. In 2023, the average age of death for someone with an Irish nationality was 78.3 years, while for those of all other nationalities it was 69.6 years.
On average, 4.2% of deaths for the entire matched population over the period 2019 to 2023 was due to external causes (accidents, self-harm, assault, and other external factors which cause death). For those with an Irish nationality this accounted for 4.0% of deaths, while for those of all other nationalities this was 7.2%.
Results based on Census Ethnicity
When looking at deaths by Census characteristics indicates the majority of matched deaths were to those who self-reported as White Irish over the period 2019 to 2023 (95% of deaths on average). In 2023, the average age at death for those who self-reported as White Irish in the Census was 78.6 years, while it was 58.5 years for White Irish Traveller, and 69.7 for all Other ethnicities.
Over this five-year period, around 1.1% (average of the annual percentage) of all deaths matched to the Census were due to suicide. A similar average percentage was noted for those who self-reported as White Irish (1.0%), while for those who self-reported as White Irish Traveller, the average percentage of deaths due to suicide was around 9.4%. For those of all Other ethnicities, around 2.0% of matched deaths were due to suicide.
This release is the result of a collaboration within the Life Events and Demography Division of the CSO. A special thanks to Cathal Doherty, particularly for his insights into the use of additional data sources.”